Safety device for addressing-machines.



3. S. DUNCAN.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ADDRESSING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED H0v.29.1915.

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5M Maca UNTTED STATE% PATENT @Flhllflldl JOSEPH S. DUNCAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 ADDBESSOGRAPH COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ADDRESSING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 19117..

Application filed November 29, 1915. Serial No. 63,985.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnrH S. DoNoAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Addressing-li/laohines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to addressing machines ingeneral and more particularly to safety devices therefor adapted to prevent the fingers of the operator from being crushed or pinched beneath the platen during the operation of the machine.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is the provision of a safety device adapted to stop the'operative movement of the platen arm and the platen carried there by in case the fingers or some other foreign object become accidentally caught beneath the platen on its downward or striking stroke and to provide a device of this character which will be simple in construction and delicate and reliable in operation.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as it is better understood with reference to the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing disclosing a preferred embodiment thereof in which Figure 1 illustrates the invention in side elevation, parts of the mechanism being shown in section, and

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the tripper plate.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the 1 bed of an addressing machine which is supported on a suitable frame (not shown). The bed 1 is provided with supports 2 along which a printing plate 3 is adapted to slide to a position beneath the ribbon 4: through which an impression is taken from the plate 3. Pivotally mounted at 5 is a platen arm 6 carrying a platen 7, the platen arm 6 being actuated in this instance through a link 8 connected thereto and to a rocking member 9 pivotally mounted at 10 beneath the bed 1. As will be readily understood the rocking member 9 may be actuated in any suitable manner and when so actuated will cause the platen 7 to reciprocate toward and from the bed 1 where it causes an impression to be taken from the printing plate 3 through the ribbon 4. Y

Pivotally mounted at 11 on the bed 1 is a tripper plate 12. The tripper plate 12 is disposed in advance of the striking position of the platen 7 and extends transversely of the bed so that any object, such for example as the fingers of the operator, which may be disposed in the path of the platen will engage the tripper plate 12 and as the platen descends and engages the object the tripper plate 12 will be turned about its pivot 11 as indicated in dotted lines on the drawing. Pivotally mounted at 18 on any suitably fixed portion of the frame 1 1 is a dog 15 whlch is connected by a link 16 to the tripper plate 12 at 17. A spring 18, connected to the dog 15 and to the frame member 14, normally holds the dog 15 and the tripper plate 12 in inoperative position. Secured to an arm 19 of the rocking member 9 is a ratchet bar 20 having a plurality of teeth 21 adapted to be engaged by the dog 15 as the rocking member 9 moves rearwardly to move the platen 7 to printing position. If no obstruction is met by the platen 7 in its downward movement the dog 15 will re main in position to clear the teeth 21 of the ratchet bar 20 as the rocking member 9 moves rearwardly. If, however, the fingers of the operator are, as indicated in the drawing in dotted lines, disposed in the path of the platen the tripper plate 12 will be rocked and moved downwardly and the dog 15 will, through the link 16, be moved into the path of the teeth 21 of the ratchet bar 20 and the engagement of one of the teeth 21 with the dog 15 will instantaneously and positively stop the movement of the platen 7, thus preventing crushing or pinching of the fingers of the operator. The provision of a number of teeth 21 on the ratchet bar 20 allows a considerable range of adjustability of the stopping point of the platen 7 to accommodate the varying thickness of the fingers of different operators.

It will be readily understood froln the foregoing that I have perfected a simple and inexpensive safety device for use with addressing machines which absolutely prevents injury to the operator inasmuch as the movement of the platen is instantaneously and positively arrested as soon as an obstructionis encountered thereby and the arrangement of the mechanism is such that the stopping point is automatically adjusted to the size of the obstruction. In actual use it has been repeatedly demonstrated that regardless of the speed with which the platen is moving it will be stopped before any injurywhatever can be inflicted upon the fingers of the operator. The device is extremely sensitive and at the same time entirely cer tain in operation.

While my invention is illustrated in connection with a platen of the well-known type commonly employed in addressing machines it is well adapted for use with other forms of platens such for example as the roller platen illustrated and described in my earlier Patent No. 1,102,396, granted July 7, 1914, for addressing machines. It will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a printing machine, the combination of a bed, a platen having a reciprocatory printing stroke, and means to automatically, instantaneously and positively stop the printing stroke of the platen, said means including a tripper carried by the bed and disposed for engagement with an obstruction in the path of the platen.

2. In a printing machine, the combination of a bed, a platen having a r'eciprocatory printing stroke, a tripper carried by the bed and adapted to engage with an obstruction in the path of the platen, and means actuated by the tripper to automatically, positively and instantaneously stop the printing stroke of the platen.

3. In a printing machine, the combination of a bed, a tripper carried by said bed, a platen movable toward and from said bed, and cooperating means connected to said tripper and platen and adapted to engage when an obstruction is disposed between said platen and tripper to instantaneously and positively arrest the movement of the platen.

4. In a printing machine, the combination of a bed, a movable tripper carried by said bed, a pivotally mounted dog connected to,

said tripper, a platen movable toward and from said bed, and a stop connected to and movable with said platen, whereby upon actuation of said tripper said dog is moved into the path of said stop to prevent further movement of said platen.

5. In a printing machine, the combination of a bed, a platen movable toward and from said bed, a movable tripper carried by said bed, a pivotally mounted dog connected to saidtripper, and a ratchet bar connected to and movable with said platen, whereby upon actuation of said trippersaid dog is moved into thepath of said ratchet bar to stop the movement of said platen.

6. In a printing. machine, the combination of a bed, a movable tripper carried by said bed, a platen movable toward and from said bed, cooperating means connected to said tripper and. platen. and adapted to engage when an obstruction is disposed between said platen and tripper to instantaneously and positively arrest the movement of the platen, and means to automatically return said tripper and connected means to normal inopera tive position. I

7. In a printing machine, thecombination of abed, a movable tripper carried by said bed, a pivotally mounted dog connected to said tripper, a platen movable toward and from said bed, aratchet-barconnected to and movable with said platen, whereby upon actuation of said tripper by an obstruction in the-path of said platen said dog is moved into the path of said ratchet bar to prevent further movement of said platen, and a spring to return said dog and tripper to normal inoperative position.

8. In a printing machine, the combination of a bed, a movable tripper pivotally mounted on said bed, a pivotally mounted dog, a link connecting said tripper and dog, a spring to normally maintain said. tripper anddog; in inoperative position, a platen movable toward and from said bed, and a ratchet bar connected to and movable with said platen, whereby when an obstruction is disposed between said platen and tripper said dog is' moved into the path of said ratchet bar to positively and instantaneously arrest the further movement of the platen.

9. In a printing machine, the combination of a bed, a movable'tripper carried thereby, a pivotally mounted dog operatively connected to said tripper, a spring to normally maintain said tripper and dog in inoperative position, a platen movable toward and from said bed, and a ratchet bar provided with a plurality of teeth. connected to and movable with said platen, whereby when an obstruction is disposed between said platen and tripper said dog is moved into the path of said ratchet bar to positively and instantaneously arrest the further movement of the platen.

10. In aprinting machine, the combination of a bed, a movable tripper carried thereby, a pivotally mounted dog operatively connectedto said tripper, a spring to normally maintain said tripper and dog in inoperative position, a platen arm, a platen carried thereby and movable toward and bar to positively and instantaneously arrest from gaidl bed, a rociking member cfiunrllected the further movement of the platen. to sai p aten arm 'or actuatin t e atter and a ratchet bar mounted on siid rocking JOSEPH DUNCAN 5 member whereby when an obstruction is dis- Witnesses:

posed between said platen and tripper said WM. 0. BELT, dog is moved into the path of said ratchet W. T. WESTERBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

